Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 9 Predictions

Start: Latavius Murray vs. Lions

Sit: Tevin Coleman at Redskins

After Dalvin Cook's disappointing start to the season, Latavius Murray has come on strong providing Vikings fans and fantasy owners a lot of excitement. Murray has scored in three straight games for Minnesota and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry this season.

This week, Murray takes on a Lions defense that is giving up the second-most rushing yards in the NFL at 144.6 yards per game. Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo explained the running game still has room to grow.

“With that being said, are we looking to improve each week on running the football and our whole offensive operation? 100 percent,” DeFilippo explained to Vikings.com. “But at the same time, I think you are starting to see the guys settling into their roles. I think you are starting to see myself really start to understand what guys do well. That takes time. No one wants to hear that, but it kind of is what it is. I give our guys a lot of credit for taking the approach of getting better each week."

Murray has a chance to put up RB1-type numbers this week against the Lions. The Vikings running back also holds good upside in DFS contests.

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The Falcons Running Game Has Struggled Without Devonta Freeman

The Falcons passing offense is hitting on all cylinders, but Atlanta has been unable to get their rushing attack going. Devonta Freeman is on the injured reserve list, but Tevin Coleman has mostly been touchdown dependent this season.

I fear that Ito Smith is going to continue eating into Coleman's carries. Coleman has not had more than 11 carries for the last three weeks.

This week, Coleman gets a difficult matchup against the Redskins. Washington is allowing the second-fewest rushing yards at 80.1 yards per game. The Falcons offense has also not performed as well on the road as it has inside the comforts of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Earlier this month, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn admitted it was something the team needed to address.

“In the run game, it adds to the toughness of our team, and it carries over on to third-and-short yardage,” Quinn said per AtlantaFalcons.com. “It carries over into four-minute opportunities. It carries over into our play-action. So there will be some games when we won't get as many long runs, but they're very important to get the explosive passes. So it's part of our balance of what we do. We just so happen that we love our runners and how we get going. That's more touches for them to have a chance for an explosive play. So it's really important what we do. We have high standards for us in the run game.”

The matchup combined with the past production makes Coleman and Smith sits for this week.

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